Dashboard: It’s the Data, Stupid

This week, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday will represent hugely important shopping days for many retailers. But Gene Marks tells Loren Feldman that the sales those days generate aren’t necessarily as important as the data they generate -- so long as the retailers are smart enough to capture it. Gene also talks about why business owners need to understand that when they sign their tax returns, they—and not their accountants—are responsible for what the returns show. Plus: why Gene loves shrinkflation as a pricing strategy and why it’s not just for those who sell food or products. It can even work for consultants like Gene.

Om Podcasten

The 21 Hats Podcast presents an authentic weekly conversation with small business owners who are remarkably willing to share what’s working for them and what isn’t. Unlike many business podcasts, which tend to talk to highly successful entrepreneurs whose struggles are in the past, the 21 Hats Podcast features a rotating cast of business owners who are still very much in the trenches fighting the good fight. Every week, our regulars gather to talk about the kinds of important issues many owners won’t even discuss behind closed doors: whether their businesses are as profitable as they should be, whether they are willing to give up some control to an investor in order to grow faster, why they had to lay off employees, how they wound up with way too much inventory, why they don’t have a succession plan, and even why they are concerned about their own mental health. Visit 21hats.com to hear all of our podcast episodes, read episode transcripts, and learn more. The show is produced by Jess Thoubboron, founder of Blank Word.